The perceived vulnerability to disease scale: Cross-cultural measurement invariance and associations with fear of COVID-19 across 16 countries

Arzu Karakulak, Bahcesehir University, Istanbul, Turkey
Maria Stogianni, Tilburg University, Netherlands
Itziar Alonso-Arbiol, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, San Sebastian, Spain
Shanu Shukla, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
Michael Bender, Tilburg University, Netherlands
Victoria Wai Lan Yeung, Lingnan University, Hong Kong, China
Veljko Jovanović, University of Novi Sad, Serbia
Pasquale Musso, University of Studies of Bari “A. Moro”, Bari, Italy
Rosa Scardigno, University of Studies of Bari “A. Moro”, Bari, Italy
Riley A Scott, Griffith University, Queensland, Australia
Jaimee Stuart, United Nations University, Macau, Macao
Maria-Therese Friehs, FernUniversität in Hagen, Germany
Zena Toh, University at Buffalo, New York, USA
Nihan Albayrak-Aydemir, Open University, Milton Keynes, UK
Alexios Arvanitis, University of Crete, Rethimno, Greece
Carmen Buzea, Transilvania University of Brasov, Romania
Stefanos Mastrotheodoros, University of Crete, Rethimno, Greece
Jo-Ann Tsang, Baylor University, Waco, Texas, USA
Filipa Madeira, University of Lisbon, Portugal
Diana Miconi, University of Montreal, Québec, Canada
Nicole Russell Pascual, University of Exeter, UK
Wade C Rowatt, Baylor University, Waco, Texas, USA
Rosemary L Al-Kire, University of Washington, Seattle, USA
Moty Amar, Ono Academic College, Kiryat Ono, Israel
Tugce Aral, University of Potsdam, Germany
Guy Itzchakov, University of Haifa, Israel
Sushanta Kumar Mishra, Indian Institute of Management BangaloreFollow
Roni Porat, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel
Rocco Servidio, University of Calabria, Arcavacata di Rende, Italy
Delia Stefenel, University of Sibiu, Romania
Ergyul Tair, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria
Alexandros Gkomez, University of Amsterdam, Netherlands

Document Type

Article

Publication Title

Social and Personality Psychology Compass

Abstract

Using cross-sectional data from N = 4274 young adults across 16 countries during the COVID-19 pandemic, we examined the cross-cultural measurement invariance of the perceived vulnerability to disease (PVD) scale and tested the hypothesis that the association between PVD and fear of COVID-19 is stronger under high disease threat [that is, absence of COVID-19 vaccination, living in a country with lower Human Development Index (HDI) or higher COVID-19 mortality]. Results supported a bi-factor Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling model where items loaded on a global PVD factor, and on the sub-factors of Perceived Infectability and Germ Aversion. However, cross-national invariance could only be obtained on the configural level with a reduced version of the PVD scale (PVD-r), suggesting that the concept of PVD may vary across nations. Moreover, higher PVD-r was consistently associated with greater fear of COVID-19 across all levels of disease threat, but this association was especially pronounced among individuals with a COVID-19 vaccine, and in contexts where COVID-19 mortality was high. The present research brought clarity into the dimensionality of the PVD measure, discussed its suitability and limitations for cross-cultural research, and highlighted the pandemic-related conditions under which higher PVD is most likely to go along with psychologically maladaptive outcomes, such as fear of COVID-19.

Publication Date

24-8-2023

Publisher

Wiley

Volume

Vol.17

Issue

Iss.11

Link to Full Text
Request Access

Share

COinS